UAV-Driven Maritime Object Detection and Classification: Literature Review of AI Models, Data, and Performance

Resumo

This literature review explores the integration of UAVs and AI in maritime surveillance, analyzing 59 peer-reviewed studies from 2020–2025. It highlights trends in object detection and classification, common methodologies, model architecture (notably YOLO), and evaluation metrics like mAP. Detection targets include boats, ships, and swimmers, with varying research focus. The review identifies technological approaches, research gaps, and growing interest in UAV-based maritime monitoring.